Spoiler Alert: There will NOT be a test at the end of my history posts on the places we visited in June. But there is a connection to these places! Remember the Fort at Crown Point that the Americans took over from the British during the American Revolution? Well while there, Major General Philip Schuyler wrote to General George Washington recommending that the mountain on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain, towering above Fort Ticonderoga should be fortified. Unlike Mount Defiance where that advice was ignored, this recommendation was listened to, and work began in July 1776. In fact it was while the soldiers were toiling away cutting down trees to build this fortification that on July 28, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was read to them, thus resulting in the renaming of Rattlesnake Hill to Mount Independence, and giving everyone the morale boost they needed. By 1777 Mount Independence combined with Fort Ticonderoga formed a formidable stronghold to ward off British forces. Or at least for a little while it did.
At its height 12,000 and 13,000 soldiers occupied Mount Independence’s extensive breastwork with a battery of 28 cannons that was built at the northern point of the peninsula. Above that position was the Citadel, and a star-shaped picket fort was constructed on the highest point, making it a sophisticated three-tiered stronghold. There was even a floating bridge connecting Mount Independence to Fort Ticonderoga. But they didn’t stop there! Additional batteries were constructed on the south side of the mountain, and within the fort there were storehouses, workshops, a gunpowder laboratory, and a powder magazine, as well as barracks. They even began construction on a two story hospital.
That is until a year later in July 1777, when the British constructed a battery on nearby Mount Defiance, and aimed their cannons down at Fort Ticonderoga and across Lake Champlain at Mount Independence. Combine that with Hessian mercenaries, who were fighting for the British, on a mission to cut off Mount Independence by land, and the American forces quickly realized they were outnumbered. On the night of July 5, 1777 the Americans quietly retreated from both Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence.
The British maintained control of Mount Independence, even during that brief period when the American regained control over Mount Defiance and Fort Ticonderoga. However, following Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga, British and German forces took what they could load aboard their vessels; threw other supplies in the lake; burned barracks, houses, and bridges; disabled about 40 cannon; and retreated to Canada. Mount Independence’s formidable stronghold was now in ruins.
Over time the land was reclaimed by farmers, as well as usable parts of the fort salvaged and repurposed by area residents. That is until 1911 when the Pell family who purchased Fort Ticonderoga also began purchasing property on Mount Independence for preservation. In 1961 the state of Vermont purchased additional tracts of land, and today Mount Defiance is jointly owned by the Fort Ticonderoga Association and the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation.
Today Mount Independence State Historic Site is one of the nation’s best preserved archeological sites from the American Revolution. There are over 6 miles of trails with signage that tell the history with corroborating evidence in the land, archeology and primary documents. Therefore, when visiting we recommend allowing for extra time, because you will want to read the numerous markers. Dogs are allowed on-leash, and there is an admission fee to use the trails. There is also museum, showcasing the extensive archeological collection. To plan your visit to Mount Independence in Orwell, Vermont, please visit HistoricSites.Vermont.gov.
So about all those signs. Mom and Dad were so engrossed in reading them, that Mom didn’t take as many photos of me as she usually does. But here are a few highlights from our adventure at Mount Independence.
Alright, so I admit the sign about the hospital got my attention considering how much time I spend at animal hospitals.
Names for illnesses sounded so much worse back then, “Catarrh (allergies), Grippe (influenza), Coryza (common cold)!” Then again the treatments were so much worse back then too!
The signs really helped to understand what was here.
What the southern battery looks like today at the location described on the sign above.
Oh and for those who aren’t interested in reading about all the history, the trails are really nice, including the Baldwin Trail which meets outdoor trail standards for accessibility. The other trails range from easy to moderate.
My pictures and brief history lesson don’t do justice for the interesting interpretive hike you can take at Mount Independence. Please go to HistoricSites.Vermont.gov to plan your visit and learn more!
